Mexican movie stars are participating in "Rock the Vote" Spanish-language commercials urging U.S. Latinos to cast their ballots Nov. 2, saying this year's U.S. elections may be a watershed for Latinos here and north of the border. Actors like the willowy Cecilia Suárez and wiry Demian Bichir have taped vote-promotion ads that are being aired as public service announcements on U.S. outlets like MTV Latino and Azteca Americas. The ads don't endorse any candidate, but are produced by Rock The Vote, which generally supports John Kerry.
FASTEST-GROWING GROUP
"Hispanics are the fastestgrowing ethnic group in the United States," Suárez says in her ad. "Right now there's more than 36 million of us ... don't let others decide for you. Exercise the power of your vote." Why would Mexicans such as Suárez, a star of the 1999 movie "Sexo, Pudor y Lagrimas" ("Sex, Shame and Tears") be interested in getting out the vote north of the border? It helps that both Suárez, a Mexican citizen, and Bichir, a dual national who starred in "Cilantro Y Perejil" ("Cilantro and Parsley") and "Don't Tempt Me" live or have lived in the United States.
"These elections are vital, they're going to affect the course not just of the United States, but the entire world," said Suárez. "It affects my country a lot." Also participating is Rodrigo Murray, who appeared in the 2000 hit, "Amores Perros." "You feel better after you vote," Murray said, "so people should get out and exercise their right to vote."
Steven Lucero, who heads the Rock the Vote office in Mexico, said the effort tries to encourage and "motivate the young Latin population, which is in dire need of greater political support. It's underrepresented in elections." "These faces and voices have reached into the Hispanic community," Lucero said.
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials estimates that 7 million Hispanics will vote this year, up 1 million from 2000.
CAMPAIGNING IN SPANISH
Both campaigns have Hispanic outreach Web sites in English and Spanish. Bush has spent US5 million for ads on Spanish-language print and broadcast outlets, while the New Democrat Network has spent US6 million on ads since March to encourage Latinos to vote Democratic.
The ads are also focused on issues like youth and women's rights, said Lucero, so that young Latinos "think about the issues that are facing them" even after the elections.
